Welting for fenders and the like



Nov. 4, 1952 L, LEWIS 2,616,722

WELTING FOR F'ENDERS AND THE LIKE Filed April 15, 1950 Low s; Lewis, by M a m fliinw'aey Patented Nov. 4, 1 952 WELTIN G FORFENDERSAND THELIKE Louis S. Lewis, Winthrop, Mass :ass'ignor to -Marson Corp .Revere, 'Mass,,-1a:corporation-:.of

;-Massachusetts Applicationv April'il'5, 1950,,j'SeriaYNo.156,171

:7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to fender welting-and -more particularly to fender welting of improved and advantageous construction.

In themaintenance and repair of automotive vehicles, it .is often necessary to replace the fenderwelting. This is costly in labor ifthe fenders have to be removed-or loosened *from the body and frame parts-to w'hich'they aresecured, for the "introduction therebetween o'f new welting.

'Anobject of this invention is to provide a fender welting which may 'be-readily attached to an assembly of fender and body or *frame of an "automotive vehicle. Another object is to provide a fender welting suitable-forthe replacement-of worn -or damaged "fender welting in automotive vehicles. Afurtherobj-ect is to provide afender welting of theabove type which will provide members.

In accordance with the above and other objects there is provided by thisinvention-a form of welting which may bequickly'positioned in place between already assembled 'fender "and body parts and which is firmly retained in-said position. The welting is of durable construction,

sufficiently flexible to be given any desired curvature, and capable of holding that shape without stretching or cracking during the "life ofthe automotivevehicle. 'This weltingincludes clips secured to the welting strip proper which are readily insertable between the "fender and body parts to hold thewelting tightly in place. "It also includes a covering of material particularly adapted for application and imparting improved protection to the welting and to the welted metal members. As will be described in detail hereinafter, this covering serves to protect the welting and to conceal the attached clips from view, and in addition by a downward extension thereof,toprotect the surfaces offender and body parts adjacent to "the opening filled 'by'the welting proper and to. conceal any corrosion which. already may be presen't there. These .features are obtained by the use of a suitable plastic, preferably insheet form, such, "for example, as polyvinyl chloride wherein a polymeric .plasticizer is employed such, for example, as one of ,the alkyd resin types known commercially as Paraplex resins or .a 'butadiene-acrylor nitrile copolymer, whichplasticizers donotlbleed and :hencelhave little if any .dele'ter'ious ...efiect on .the usual automotive .fenders. vpll,.(ilyvinyl films or sheets of this type are thermoplastic,

improved protection against wear, weather, and corrosion to the welted automotive and therefore are particularly adapted for. forming' theparticular construction of the protective coveringsince the edges of the sheet need only "'to bedr-awn together beneath the welting proper and simply heat sealed together to form the depending protective -fin.

It will be apparent that the use of this type of covering imparts improved qualities to the twelting. It is especially wear resistant and -weather-resistant, not subject to mildew with loss ofits physical properties, and is .so applied that the *welting proper is-pro'tected from such :injurious effectsr lt is inert chemically-.with.re- *spect to automotive finishes and metal, and is capable of beingfused into an integral unsuppor'ted structure without the use of adhesives "-and poss'ible z'separation due to weathering, and -remains -i'lexible for the life of the'fender without*cracking.

A-preferred embodiment of this invention is shown inthe accompanying drawings in which:

*Figure -1is alateral view of a longitudinal portion-of awelting according to this invention;

jFi-g."2 is-across-sectional view of the welting 'takenon line 2---2 of Fig. l-showing' the welting disposed between a fender and a body member;

Fig23is-anenlarged view showing a clip memher in lateral cross-section;

Fig.4 is anenlarged view taken on line 4-4 ofFig. *2- showing the adjustable engagement of -a-"clip member with the opposing surfaces of a fenderand a body member;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in perspective showingth'e attachmentof a clip'member and showingithe detail of theedge serrations; and

' ."Fig. 6.is a side view of an attached'clip member showing the oblique projection of the edge serrations.

,In the embodiment illustrated in the draw- .ings, a ,welting'Z is shownhaving a bodyportion '4..provideid with reinforcing member 6, said-members '4 and 6 forming acore therein. Body portion '4 may comprise any "suitable material for p ovidinggaresilient welt, and suitably this material may comprise fibrous cellulose material ..and,pre"ferably may be paper cording such as j kra'itpaper "cord. The "reinforcing member suit- .ably may bea copper wire, possessing sufficient flexibility .to enable "the welting 2 to be bent readily to conform to the curvature of the fender joint to which it is applied, and imparting-sufficient strength. to enable itto hold its-shape; once bent, and .to .;1imit:1any stretch'thereof. A core jhavinjg ;a-. 1d iameter "substantially of has beenioun'd suitable.

Clips 8 are shown secured to the core 4 at intervals along its length to provide means for holding said welting firmly to the fender-body joint. These clips are secured with their lateral axes in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the welting. The clips 8 are spaced sufificiently close together to hold the welting in place without buckling, and to permit any clip contacting a bolt to be cut off without loosening effect.

The clips 8 suitably may be stamped out from sheet metal and shaped. These are shown having a depending arcuate prong H! in which the side edges are displaced to one side of the vertical axis of the clip and the curved median portion of the clip is displaced outwardly to the other side of said vertical axis. The prong I is shown also shaped to provide a pointed end H. for facilitating the introduction of body portion l0 between the assembled fender l4 and.

body member IS. The prong I0 is shown further provided with edge serrations l8. These edge serrations l8 obtain from horizontal notches 20, formed by slashing the outer margins of the prong Ill and bending back the outer marginal portions immediately beneath the slashes thus producing a projection 22 at the top of each marginal slashed section 24.

The prongs 10 when introduced between the assembled fender I4 and body part l6 (Fig. 2) will adjustably engage the abutting surfaces due to the spreading of the arcuate lateral surfaces (Fig. 4) and the edge serrations l8 will engage any extraneous material which may be between the abutting surfaces, such as may have resulted from corrosion or the deterioration of original welting, and further engagement of the arcuate body portion therebetween. The particular configuration given the serrations [8 enables the prongs H! to be readily introduced because of the gradual upwardly outward bend of the marginal sections 24 but removal other than forcible, is obstructed by the projections 22, extending backwardly from the lower edge of the marginal section 24 adjacent above, bearing against any extraneous material and locking said body portion thereagainst.

Each clip has a core-encircling clamping head 26 by which to secure the clip to the said reinforced core. This head is shown in Figs. 2 and and 6, bent snugly around core 4 of the welting with the fiat end abutting the lower section thereof adjacent to the top of prong ID to secure the clip thereon.

A covering 28 is provided for the clip-attached, reinforced welt body. The covering 28 is preferably formed of a sheet of a suitable plastic material, such, for example, as polyvinyl chloride which is plasticized with Paraplex CF50. This covering 28 is shown (Figs. 1 and 2) wrapped around the core 4 with the lateral edges projecting downwardly beneath said core and beyond the junction of the clamping head 26 with the prong l0. Thus the clip attachment is protected. Between the spaced clips, the projecting edges of the covering 28 are heat-sealed together to.

form a cover projection or fin 3a. This cover projection or fin 30 engages the space between the fender I4 and body parts It and serves to hold the welting in position and in addition to seal the joint and hide any corrosion already present.

The embodiment just described finds particular use as replacement welting. For such use it is necessary only to-rip out the old original welting and apply this replacement weltin'g bypro- 4 gressively forcing the clips spaced along the length of the welting into the fender joint. This conveniently may be accomplished by driving the welting in with a hammer and a suitably shaped block. In old assemblies, a screw driver advantageously may be used to initiate separation of joined members where the clips are to be inserted. Because of the improved protective qualities and durability of this type of welting, it also may be used advantageously as original welting.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Fender welting comprising, in combination, a flexible longitudinal core, clips surrounding said core at spaced intervals, each said clip carrying an arcuate barbed prong shaped to permit entry of the prong between a fender and another automotive member and to oppose withdrawal therefrom, and a plastic covering surrounding the core and extending in the direction of the prongs in the form of a fin and heat sealed along the fin.

2. Fender welting comprising, in combination, a flexible longitudinal core, clips surrounding said core at spaced intervals, each said clip carrying an arcuate prong shaped to permit entry of the prong between a fender and another automotive member, and a heat-sealed polymerplasticised polyvinyl chloride covering surrounding the core and extending in the direction of the prongs in the form of a fin.

3. Fender welting comprising, in combination, a flexible longitudinal core, clips surrounding said core at spaced intervals, each' said clip carrying an arcuate barbed prong shaped to permit entry of the prong between fender and another automotive member and to oppose withdrawal therefrom, and a heat-sealed, polymerplasticised polyvinyl chloride covering surrounding the core and extending in the direction of the sprongs in the form of a fin.

4. Fender welting suitable for application to already assembled automotive members comprising, in combination, a flexible elongated core possessing suflicient resiliency and strength to assume and retain the contour of assembled automotive members, metal clips secured around said core at spaced intervals, each said clip carrying a depending arcuate prong pointed at its outer end to permit entry and spreading of said arcuate prong between fender and another automotive member and having its longitudinal edges provided with serrations to oppose withdrawal of said prong, and a plastic covering surrounding the core and extending in the direction of the prongs in the form of a fin and heat sealed along the fin.

5. Fender welting comprising, in combination, a flexible longitudinal core including a cord of cellulosic material containing a flexible reinforcing wire, metal clips secured around said core at spaced intervals, each said clip having a portion surrounding said core and an arcuate prong depending therefrom, said arcuate prong being pointed at its outer end to facilitate entry and spreading of said arcuate prong between a fender and another automotive member and having its longitudinal edges provided with serrations arranged to permit entry of said prong between said fender and automotive member but tooppose withdrawal therefrom, and a heat- 'seal ed polymer-plasticized polyvinyl chloride lcoveringisurrounding the core and extending in the direction'of the prongs in the form of a fin.

6. Fender welting comprising, in combination, an elongated core including a cord of paper material reinforced with a flexible wire, clips surrounding said core at spaced intervals, each said clip carrying an arcuate barbed prong shaped to permit entry of the prong between a fender and another automotive member and to oppose withdrawal therefrom, and an alkyd resin-plasticized polyvinyl chloride sheet covering surrounding the core and extending in the direction of the prongs, the lower edges of the covering being heat-sealed together to form a fin.

7. Fender welting suitable for application to already assembled fender and automotive member, comprising, in combination, an elongated core including a cord of paper material reinforced with a flexible wire, metal clips secured to said core at spaced intervals, each said clip having an upper portion attachably surrounding said core and an arcuate prong portion depending from said core, said arcuate prong portion having converging lower edges to facilitate entry and spreading of said arcuate surfaces between an assembled fender and automotive member and having the edges thereabove provided with serrations arranged to permit the entry of said arcuate prong portion and to oppose withdrawal therefrom, and a heat-sealed alkyd resin-plasticized polyvinyl chloride sheet covering surrounding the core and extending in the direction of the prongs, the lower edges of the coverin being heat-sealed together to form a fin.

LOUIS S. LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 949,570 Harris Feb. 15, 1910 1,808,259 Schemmel June 2, 1931 2,377,169 Mohr May 29, 1945 2,416,798 Ferguson Mar. 4, 1947 2,483,622 Burski Oct. 4, 1949 2,491,923 Johnson Dec. 20, 1949 2,523,223 Martin Sept. 19, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 586,826 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Chem. and Engineering News, vol. 26, No. 10, March 8, 1948, page 719, article on Paraplex (3-50. 

